So Here’s The Story…

Fishing with Sterks is always an adventure. We’ve been known to get stranded with flat tires, motors not starting, hauling in the big lunkers, more boat issues, and now we can add another one to the list – someone has fallen out of the boat.

Dan and I decided Wednesday afternoon that it would be a GREAT night for fishing. We called up one of our youth group kids to go fishing (we’ve been wanting to go all summer) and so we headed out to Solomon Lake. The conditions were perfect (or so we thought). There was not another boat out on the lake and we thought PERFECT! We have the lake to ourselves!

In Michigan, we do not have pelicans (which Minnesotans think it’s odd that we don’t because they are quite common here). We are still flabbergasted by them!

Again, perfect night – the waters were SO calm – like glass. The sun was shining bright giving us that summer warmth. Then…we realized why were the only ones on the lake.

THERE WERE NO FISH. We got completely skunked. It was actually quite frustrating because it felt like we threw Dan’s whole tackle box and just NOTHING. Dan asked one of our friends if he knew were the good spots were and unfortunately we had hit all of the ones he suggested. Dan jokingly said “well, next option is to throw Kristin in.”

Well…

That actually became TRUE.

So here’s the story (for all those who have seen pictures on facebook and since Wednesday night, have had a better week because they were able to giggle time and time again at the aftermath of my mishap :):)).

We have a solar panel for the battery. Obviously the only way for it to work is to have it in the sun, so we usually have it somewhere on the back bench. Well, I was fishing off the back and after getting another lure on, I decided to step up back on the bench. At that moment, I realized the solar panel was there so I was going to step to the side/over it, but the hydraulic steering hose was in the way. By that time, I had so much forward moment because I had yet to put that other foot down, that I was going to step on the edge of the boat. Being 6’1″ my body weight had too much forward momentum that I realized I was not going to make the edge of the boat. At that point, I beautifully leaped into the water, with my fishing pole in hand and yelled “oh shoot!”

After I popped up from going under, I just started busting out in laughter. I was laughing SO HARD that I could barely breathe! Then I realized okay, the boat is still moving and Dan and Neil are stuck in the boat thinking “what in the WORLD just happened?” “Why is Kristin in the water?”

So I have to say, I ALWAYS wear my bathing suit fishing. Always. Then of course, the ONE time I don’t, is when I go in the water unintentionally. Now I must say I do not wear my suit for such occasions as this – as if I PLAN on falling in. The was a “save the solar panel” moment and I sacrificed my dry clothes in the meantime. Dan kindly reminded me that it was probably a good thing I didn’t step on the solar panel because it is glass and I probably would’ve cut myself – whew! See? It was a good thing I went in!

Another unfortunate thing was that I had jeans on – definitely tested out my treading skills!

In the meantime, Dan took the time to snap a few pics – I don’t blame him – I would’ve done the EXACT same thing.

To this day, we are still laughing over it. Wednesday night while trying to fall asleep, I started giggling again because it was just that funny.

I am not a clutsy person, but as Dan says always “If something weird is going to happen, it will happen to Kristin.” That continues to prove true in my life :).

THAT, my friends, is how I ended up in the water 🙂

I even saved my fishing pole!

The water was thankfully quite warm (warmer than the air), but as you can see, the water was NASTY

Getting back in and still dying of laughter!

Last night Dan headed out to Lake George with one of our friends and they caught like 24 fish! Nothing like redeeming yourself after getting skunked! I think this is a 17 inch bass! I opted out (not for fear of falling in…but guys nights are good too)